The IRN is an initiative of The Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS) which was founded in 1991 by the distinguished historian Martin Duberman to develop public programming and scholarly research about LGBTQI lives, histories, and experiences. Founded in the belief that education is a critical tool in the struggle for social justice, CLAGS has worked hard to put bring universities and non-academic communities together. Over the years, the work of CLAGS and IRN has expanded enormously to include a wide range of public and scholarly activities.